( As originally published in The Ticker: http://ticker.baruchconnect.com/article/career-corner-utilizing-internship-opportunities/)
By: Paulina Jankovic, Peers for Careers/SCDC Correspondent
The new semester is upon us! The first week of classes is always exciting—seeing friends, finalizing ones’ class schedule and making plans. Additionally, now is the ideal time to start thinking about summer internship plans. Given the freezing temperatures, the month of May may feel far away, but the next 15 weeks will quickly unfold.
To help students jumpstart their semester and their internship search, the Starr Career Development Center (SCDC) has been busy planning events that will ensure you are prepped and ready to focus on an internship search.
Regardless of your major or career direction, it is important to seek out internships or volunteer experiences that will help prepare you to enter the working world. The Career Development Center has many tools that will help students get their foot in the door.
There are many benefits to doing an internship. Internships are key to gaining exposure to your field of interest and providing you with hands-on, real-world experience. It can be a great way to your strengthen your skills, build your network and even test-drive your career options in order to find the best fit.
Before you apply for an internship, it is important to have a resume. The Career Development Center’s staff and peers can provide valuable advice during a resume review. During the semester, the center has walk-in resume review appointments from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Additionally, Resume Rush events are held periodically during the semester to ensure that even more students can get help with their resume. The first such Resume Rush event is going to be held on Tuesday, February 5, in the afternoon.
Another way to jumpstart your internship search is to consider attending the Internship Fair on Friday, Feb. 8. Career fairs are always a crucial for an internship search. They allow you the opportunity to personally connect with a recruiter, which is the purpose of the fair: networking.
It is recommended that you research the companies participating and apply on their website before the fair. Many students are frustrated by career fairs because they expect the recruiter to make a decision about their candidacy on the spot.
The purpose of the fair is really to activate your networking. On Wednesday, Feb. 6, the Career Development Center is hosting a Career Fair Preparation Workshop, which is designed to address the myths and realities of a fair.
In addition to the career fair, there are several companies participating in our On-Campus Recruiting program for internships.
If you have not already done so, take the Internship OCR tutorial (it can be found on the Media section of the SCDC’s website). As a part of On-Campus Recruiting, several corporate information sessions are scheduled.